Concealed manifold for gas stoves



May 5, 1936. J. E LEQNARD 2,@39,652

CONCEALED MANIFOLD FOR GAS STOVES Filed April 16, 1950 TWP 1 'I miL A H}:1" i I: Q L fl .2 11 1 I INVENTOR/ JOSEPH E LEONA PD.

Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONCEALED MANIFOLD FORGAS STOVES Application April 16,

'1 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in gas stoves and ranges and moreparticularly to a novel and efficient shield structure for concealingand protecting the gas manifold, valves and associated stove parts.

In order to improve the appearance and promote the cleanliness andsanitation of gas stoves and ranges, the present practice has led to useof shields, aprons or extensions arranged to conceal the manifold andvalves. A common difficulty with such arrangements is that the stoveheat is objectionably confined by the shields, aprons or extensions, andalso too readily transmitted to the shields and manifolds and valvesowing to the construction of the shields and manner of connection of theshields and manifolds with the stove. Thus the manifolds, valves andshields become overheated, particularly in closed top stoves, with theresult that not only is the operator likely to burn the hands inmanipulating the valves, but the valves tend to stick, or leak and areoften damaged.

Accordingly an object of my invention is to provide a manifoldconcealing and protecting arand difficulties hereinbefore noted, in aparticularly eflicient manner.

Another object of my invention is to provide a shield means of thecharacter described in which air is permitted to circulate freelybeneath and behind the shield and around the manifold and valves in suchmanner as to prevent overheating of the manifold and valves and maintainthe outer or exposed portions of the shield and valves comparativelycool.

Still another object ofv my invention is to provide a manifoldconcealing and shielding arrangement of the character described in whichthe manifold and shield are free from connection and contact with thestove top and such parts of the stove which, if connected to or engagedwith, would cause the shield, manifold and associated parts to becomeoverheated.

A further object is to provide a shield arrangement of the characterdescribed which will cause the heated air and air circulating beneathand behind the shield to pass upward into the burner chamber of thestove top and out through the vent or flue of the stove rather thanconfine the heat to the space beneathv the shield.

This invention further resides in the provision of a new and efficientform of shield which has a plurality of air circulating passages in anarrangement which causes a more effective air circulation around themanifold and burners and rangement which will eliminate the objections1930, Serial No. 444,691

maintains the outer surface of the shield in a cool condition.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of a sectional shieldof novel arrangement andconstruction greatly facilitating an assem- 5bling and disassembling thereof relative to the stove and an easyadjustment of the valves.

Further, a feature of importance is a new manifold arrangement whereinthe manifold is disposed below the valves and in such relation to 10 thestove top and shield as to be more effectively spaced and insulated fromheat of the stove than is possible with the usual manifold dispositionin gas stoves.

Yet another object is to provide a shield means 15 of the characterdescribed which is of simple and inexpensive construction, capable ofbeing readily and easily'set up and taken down on various kinds andmakes of stoves, and which disposes the valve handles in a mostconvenient 20 position while at the same time greatly improving theappearance of the stove.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following de- 25scription of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated inthe drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is tobe understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the saiddrawing and de- 30 scription may be adopted within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a front elevation of a gas stove equipped with the shield ofmy invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the shield andparts of the stove.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of line 3-3of Figure 2.

The present embodiment of my invention as 40 shown in detail in theaccompanying drawing forms a part of a gas stove of the closed cookingtop type but it may also be effectively used in connection with open topstoves.

As here shown the stove includes a closed 45 cooking top I between whichare vertical side or Wall members 2 defining with the top a burnerchamber 3 for burners, a gas inlet pipe portion 4 of a burner being hereindicated. The chamher 2 is open at the point where the burners extendoutward for operative connection-with the gas manifold whereas at theback said chamber is vented to a flue in the usual manner, not shown.

The concealed manifold arrangement of my in- 10 a passage 1 providedbeneath the top. The manivention comprises a shield structure in thegeneral form of an elongated rectangular casing 5 detachably secured atits ends to the vertical walls 2 and disposed in front of the stovebeneath the top I to conceal the manifold and valves. Upper and lowersides of the shield are open and the upper open side is disposed inspaced relation below and inwardly of a forward overhanging member 6 ofthe top, in position to direct air currents into the chamber throughfold 8 is carried by the shield and the valves 9 'are supported on topof the manifold and connected to the burners in the usual manner. I Thevalve stems I project outward through orifices II in the shield and havehandles I2 thereon operable on the outer side of theshield. With thisarrangement it is seen that the shield is free from connection with andspaced from the cool:- ing top I. The manifold 8 is likewise free fromconnection with said top and spaced well below the top and outward fromthe front of the stove as well as spaced from opposed sides of theshield. Therefore, air will enter the lower open side of the shield andalso through the space I3 between the top and shield and will passupward and inward and around the manifold and valves through the upperopen end of the shield and passage 1 into the burner chamber from whenceof the shield and easy access to the valves, the

shield is of sectional construction, the upper front portion I4 beingseparable from the fixed section I5. The portion I 4 is arrangedtoprovide a rearwardly and upwardly sloping front for the shield and hasthe orifices or slots I I cut through to'the lower edge thereof wherebyit may be readily fitted over or removed from the valve stems. The endand lower edges of the removable section I4 are provided with inwardlyoffset'flanges I6 arranged to rest upon lugs I! on the inner sides ofthe front and end walls I8 and I9 respectively of the fixed section I5.

To provide for attachment of the shield to the stove, the end walls I9have inturned flanges 20 on their'inner vertical edges, which flangesare secured by bolts 2I to angle iron members 22 fixed to the verticalside walls 2 of the stove. The rear wall 23 of the fixed section I ofthe shield is upwardly and rearwardly inclined from its lower end to apoint beneath the burners and then extends vertically above the plane ofthe end walls I9 and terminates in a baffle portion 24 spaced below thecooking top I and having an inturned horizontal flange 25 on its upperend. This portion 24 with the portion 26 of the stove "top defines thepassage 1 which communicates burners extend. ,7

"To protect the manifold from the heat of the stove a bafile plate 28 isprovided on the rear wall 23 and extends forward therefrom beneath theadjacent ends of the burners. In order to support the manifold on theshield without con nection of the manifold with the top I, the lowersection I5 is provided on its front wall I8 with inwardly extending arms29 on which the manifold is secured by clamps 30.

To insure an effective circulation of cooling air around the manifoldand valves, a partition wall 3I is secured to the lower partof theshield in spaced substantially parallel relation to the lower part ofthe rear wall 23. ment a wide passage 32 is formed in the lower part ofthe shield between the front and partition By this arrange-.

walls, and a smaller passage 33 is defined between the partition andrear wall. The manifold lies within the upper part of the passage 32 insuch position that air flowing upward through said passage is directedagainst and around both sides of the manifold and of course around thevalves supported thereon. The bafile plate 28 is at the upper end of thepassage 33 and acts to direct the air currents from said passagelaterally outward against and past the manifold and valves. Thus the twoair streams directed by the passages 32 and 33 to and around themanifold and valves prevent overheating of said parts and maintain themin a comparatively cool state. Furthermore, these two airpassages andthe walls 23'and 3I thereof provide for an effective insulation of theouter or front wall I8 and the removable section I4, also the valvehandles, and thereby maintain the front of the shield and the valvehandles in a cool state to prevent burning of the hands or discomfort ofa person touching the front of the shield or said handles.

It will now be clear that the concealed manifold arrangement of myinvention will provide the advantages hereinbefore set forth in aparticularly efiicient manner and primarily by reason of the facts that,first the shield effectively conceals the manifold, valves, etc., andimproves the appearance of the stove; second, the shield is free fromconnection with and spaced from the stove top whereby to avoid a directconduct of heat to the manifold, valves, etc third, the shield providesfor a free air circulation about the manifold, valves and shield partsand prevents overheating of the manifold, valves and said parts, etc.,as well as maintains the outer or exposed portions of the shield andvalves in a 0001 state; fourth, the air circulated beneath the shield isconducted into the burner chamber 7 and passes out through the flue andtherefore no heated air or heat trap is provided beneath and behind orby the shield; fifth, the manifold is free from connection with thestove top to avoid conduct of heat thereto and is supported by theshield in such manner as to effectively insulate it from the heat of thestove and thereby prevent overheating thereof and its attendant badeffects hereinbefore enumerated; and lastly, the sectional constructionof the shield facilitates the assembling and disassembling thereof andprovides for easy access to the valves for adjustment thereof.

It is to be noted that when the manifold arrangement of this inventionis associated with an open top stove, the space I3 between the top ofthe shield and the stove top may serve as a vent to the atmosphere.However, with a closed top stove wherein a strong draft is createdthrough the passage I, the tendency is for an intaking action throughthe passage I3 rather than a venting of the air currents through saidpassage.

I claim:

1. In a gas stove, a stove top, a burner compartment beneath said top,burners in said compartment, a gas manifold, valves carried by saidmanifold and connected with said burners, a shield enclosing andconcealing said manifold and valves, and a partition wall in the shielddefining with other walls of the shield a plurality of air passagesarranged to direct currents of air to and past said manifold and valves.

2. In a gas stove, a stove top, a burner chamber beneath said top,burners in said chamber, a gas manifold, valves associated with saidmanifold and burners, a shield enclosing said manifold and valves andcomprising a sectional front wall, one section of which is removable, arear wall and end walls joining the front and rear walls, the upper sideof said rear wall opening at a point above the manifold and valves, andthe lower side of said shield being open to the atmosphere at a pointbelow said manifold and valves.

3. In a gas stove, a stove top, a burner chamber beneath said top,burners in said chamber, a gas manifold, valves associated with saidmanifold and burners, a shield enclosing said manifold and valves andcomprising a front wall lying in front of said manifold and valves, arear wall lying in the rear of said manifold and valves and end wallsjoining the front and rear walls, the upper side of said rear wallopening into said chamber at a point above the burners but beneath andspaced from said top, and the lower side of said shield being open tothe atmosphere at a point below said manifold and valves.

4. In a gas stove, a stove top, a burner compartment beneath said top,burners in said compartment, a gas manifold, valves associated with saidmanifold and burners, and a shield comprising a front wall concealingsaid manifold and valves and a rear wall disposed in the rear of saidmanifold and valves, said front and rear walls providing therebetween anair passage around and past said manifold and valves, said passageopening into the burner chamber at a point above the burner and beneathsaid top and opening to the atmosphere at a point below the manifold andvalves.

5. In a gas stove, a stove top, a burner compartment beneath said top, aburner in said compartment, a gas pipe leading to said burner, a gasmanifold, a valve connecting said manifold and pipe, a shield arrangedto lie in front of and conceal the manifold and valve, and a rear walldisposed between the manifold, valve and said compartment and extendingbelow said pipe, said shield and rear wall providing therebetween an airpassage, said rear wall having a perforation therein below said pipeconnecting said passage with said compartment and being spaced at theupper end thereof from said top to provide an opening communicating saidpassage with said compartment.

6. In a gas stove, a stove top, a burner compartment beneath said top, aburner in said compartment, a gas pipe leading to said burner, a gasmanifold, a valve connecting said manifold and pipe, a shield arrangedto lie in front of and conceal the manifold and valve, a rear walldisposed between the manifold, valve and said compartment and extendingbelow said pipe, said shield and rear wall providing therebetween an airpassage, said rear wall having a perforation therein below said pipeconnecting said passage with said compartment, and a deflector platearranged to deflect air in said passage away from said perforation anddirect said air to said manifold and valve.

7. In a gas stove, a stove top, a burner compartment beneath said top, aburner in said compartment, a gas manifold, a valve associated with saidmanifold and burner, a shield lying in front of and concealing saidmanifold and valve, a rear wall lying between said manifold, valve andsaid compartment and defining with said shield an air passage, and adeflector plate in said passage for directing the flow of airtherethrough around and past said manifold and valve.

JOSEPH E. LEONARD.

